HAMMETT (1982) – I reviewed this 1982 Wim Wenders film that was produced by Francis Ford Coppola’s Zoetrope Studios. Frederic Forrest (Chef from Apocalypse Now) plays real-life mystery writer Dashiell Hammett as he gets caught up in a real-life mystery.

A friend from Hammett’s days as a Pinkerton Detective shows up asking for a favor in the mid-1920s, when Dashiell is still working for just pennies a word for Black Mask and other Pulp Magazines. What follows is a fun homage to Film Noir and to Hammett’s stories. CLICK HERE

PHELIM MCALEER ON THE AMERICAN LEFT’S TOTALITARIANISM – Like me and so many others, Phelim McAleer used to consider himself part of the political left but was driven away by the left’s growing fondness of censorship, blacklisting, totalitarianism and their support of ONLY reactionary Muslims, not Muslims who seek reform in their faith to bring it into the 21st Century.

HELLRAISER: ORIGINS TRAILER – My love of Clive Barker’s horror novel The Hellbound Heart and the subsequent Hellraiser film series is well known.

In this spec trailer for Hellraiser: Origins you can take a look at a reimagined Pinhead and a depiction of Hell that is a bold departure from Barker’s own. CLICK HERE

SNOPES CONFIRMS BARACK OBAMA’S ADMINISTRATION TURNED ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CHILDREN AT THE BORDER OVER TO HUMAN TRAFFICKERS – Just one of the many, MANY scandals of Obama’s presidency ignored by the Democrats in the media.

When even Snopes can’t slant an item to try to cover up for their beloved Hollow Man Barack you KNOW the evidence is monumental. CLICK HERE

SILAS TALBOT: REVOLUTIONARY WAR HERO – Balladeer’s Blog took a look at the Revolutionary War career of Silas Talbot.

BONUS: A descendant of Talbot showed up in the comments for a quick acknowledgement of this recognition of his ancestor’s heroics.

TRUMP-HATERS: ARE THEY INSANE OR ONLY PRETENDING TO BE? – A look at the slobbering, psychopathic behavior of those bizarre people who devote their every waking moment to drooling hatred of de facto Third Party President Donald Trump.

THE INDEPENDENCE DAY SPEECH THAT NEVER WAS – This item examined a much-discussed speech during the deliberations over the Declaration of Independence.

The only problem is, it never happened. But it SHOULD have! Read the fiery speech and the notes about the odd theories surrounding the man who allegedly delivered that speech. CLICK HEREContinue reading →

Balladeer’s Blog’s End of Year Retrospective Continues with this look at The Best of April.

FREE SPEECH, LIBERALS AND CONSERVATIVES – Neither end of the political spectrum seems interested in defending freedom of expression except when their own point of view is in danger of being silenced.

Here at Balladeer’s Blog I deal with these issues all the time. Easily offended people from the political left to the political right are often outraged by what I write. CLICK HERE

WITHIN AN ACE OF THE END OF THE WORLD (1900) – My review of this work of “ancient” science fiction was a hit with readers.

Robert Barr was the name of the author of this neglected item that dealt with apocalyptic concerns. What Barr’s previous work The Doom of London did for that city Within An Ace of the End of the World did for the entire planet. CLICK HERE

POLO: 2018 U.S. OPEN, GAMES ONE AND TWO – Balladeer’s Blog’s annual coverage of the U.S. Open in Polo attracted its usual share of attention.

Instead of the title game, like previous years, this year the most hits went to the opening two games pitting the Aviators against the Red Sleeves and the Valiants against the Association. CLICK HERE

TRUMP-HATERS: FASCISTS AND BUFFOONS – After two pieces of garbage like Barack Obama and George W Bush we got a de facto Third Party President in Donald Trump.

This post infuriated the stuffy, blustering fools who hate President Trump, the new FDR. That seems to be because they hate the working class and the poor whom Trump has helped and when they trash the Donald they are really expressing their resentment of the needy people that Trump has benefited. CLICK HERE

NEGLECTED DETECTIVES WHO SOLVED REAL-LIFE MYSTERIES – This item looked at a pair of baffling real-life mysteries that were solved decades ago by eccentric detectives as colorful as any in fiction.

Ellis Parker tackled a puzzling murder and bank robbery in 1920, while Edward O Heinrich solved four murders that took place during a botched train robbery. Heinrich’s case happened in 1923. CLICK HERE

THE PRISONER: MORE RELEVANT THAN EVER BEFORE – This item kicked off my review of the 1967 science fiction/ existential drama The Prisoner.

This series has become more timely than ever here in the 21st Century. Part Orwell, part Kafka, part Pirandello and part Alphaville, The Prisoner paved the way for ground-breaking shows like Twin Peaks, The X-Files and Lost. CLICK HERE

POLITICAL FORTUNE COOKIES – This was a popular one-shot item in which I took shots at Congressional Republicans, Barack Obama and many, many more.

MICHAEL MOORE: FAKE FRIEND TO THE WORKING CLASS – Pathetic, outdated Michael Moore STILL refuses to give away all but two million dollars of his bloated fortune to prove that he really cares about the 99 percent like he claims he does.

Moore is a whiny, hypocritical hatemonger and is despised by the working class that he claims to champion. CLICK HEREContinue reading →

Balladeer’s Blog’s End of Year Retrospective Continues with this look at The Best of March.

ANNI CYRUS, IRANIAN-BORN CRITIC OF SHARIA LAW – Another member of the real-life League of Extraordinary Women, Anni Cyrus was in the news again, this time for her 2018 Anti-Sharia Law Tour.

As ever, the courageous Cyrus had to endure all manner of threats from reactionary Muslim fascists AND from privileged white women who pretend they’re “heroic” by engaging in childish Handmaid’s Tale cos-play. Meanwhile the Democrats on college campuses worked to block TRULY heroic Anni Cyrus’ talks by claiming she promotes “Islamophobia” or by saying they couldn’t guarantee her safety from mobs of fascist Democrats. CLICK HERE

THE JET BENNY SHOW – Balladeer’s Blog’s reviews of bad and weird movies are still very popular.

This one addressed The Jet Benny Show, a bizarre attempt at comedy which fused Star Wars with The Jack Benny Show. The result was horrendous in all kinds of ways. CLICK HERE

NON-DILLINGER: QUICK TAKES ON OTHER GANGSTERS OF HIS ERA – In keeping with Balladeer’s Blog’s tradition of examining topics which slip through the cultural cracks this blog post looked at some of the 1930s gangsters overshadowed by John Dillinger’s legend.

Figures like Two-Gun Crowley, Jelly Nash, the Tri-State Terror and others are featured in this item from March. CLICK HERE

THE RATINGS GAME – I reviewed this overlooked comedy from 1984.

Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman starred in this hilarious sendup of the perpetually flawed television ratings process which enables some truly absurd programs to thrive while more thoughtful efforts get quick cancellations. CLICK HERE

Jimmy gets the kind of unfair treatment he gutlessly dishes out on his show, where he controls the final broadcast product and rigs it to make himself look like he actually knows what he’s talking about. CLICK HERE

It came out in the middle of revelations about previously covered-up details of Obama’s horrific Iran Deal AND the way he permitted a drug ring run from the middle east to thrive on our southern border to avoid embarrassing reactionary Muslim fascists. CLICK HERE

Balladeer’s Blog’s year-end retrospective continues with the Best of February.

Randy (right) and Richard way down on Level 31 hosting The Texas 27 Film Vault.

TEXAS TWENTY-SEVEN FILM VAULT: 33rd ANNIVERSARY – February 9th is the anniversary date for the first episode of this Pre-MST3K version of MST3K.

Join Randy and Richard for their looks at old schlock classics and vintage Republic Serials.

This time around I celebrated the show’s history PLUS included an appeal to any more Texas 27 Film Vault fans out there. Click HERE

BLACK PANTHER: PANTHER’S RAGE OVERVIEW – From the 1970s comes this 13-part Black Panther saga by Don McGregor featuring the Black Panther’s attempts to preserve his kingdom during the blood-soaked uprising led by the callous and cruel Erik Killmonger.

If the overrated and over-praised Alan Moore had written this story it would have been a movie or mini-series by now. Panther’s Rage has action, philosophy and other adult topics as well as a quest through Wakanda’s hidden realms: The Land of the Chilling Mist, the Domain of the White Gorillas, Serpent Valley and the Forest of Thorns. Click HERE

1912: BATTLE OF THE THREE PRESIDENTS – Readers loved this look at the Presidential Election of 1912 in which incumbent William Howard Taft faced Woodrow Wilson AND former President Theodore Roosevelt, who was running on the Progressive (Bull Moose) Party Ticket.

Quick takes on the prominent losers in presidential races, from Hillary Clinton on back. Featuring facts, insights and insults on each of them. Click HERE

DEMOCRAT ATROCITY ROUNDUP: FEBRUARY 28th – What more need be said? Click HERE

DEMOCRATS: WILL THEY EVER GROW UP? – Sure, Republicans are bad, too, but Democrats are snobbish fools who actually seem to think they’re the country’s official “intellectuals” and are THE moral models for everyone else. Just like religious nuts of years ago. Click HERE